1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for supporting folders, envelopes and the like in the drawers of filing cabinets. More precisely, my invention provides three embodiments of self-adjusting file supports, two of which are completely self-adjusting and one which requires minor manual adjustments, both designed for adjustable horizontal bracing and support of one or more documents in drawers of filing cabinets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several devices are currently available on the market as drawer fillers which are designed to hold documents in a substantially upright position when the drawer is less than full, however, the majority of these are provided as manual adjusting units sold as an inherent portion of the filing cabinet itself. Not only are they not self-adjusting but they are usually expensive to purchase and assemble as a separate unit. Therefore, a search was conducted in the following classes and subclasses to produce individual file drawer fillers which are partially or completely self-adjusting:
312/283, 190, 191, 61, 221/57, 58, 54, 211/51, 58, 59, and 267/165.
The patents which were noted as being most pertinent to my invention are as follows:
1. Pollklesener was issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,654, of Feb. 16, 1965, for a "Receptacle Closure Comprising A Resilient Spacer", designed primarily for pharmaceutical bottles containing bolus medications for preventing vibration of the bottle contents.
2. A patent issued to Humphrey on June 25, 1968, U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,944, illustrates a portion of one embodiment as a fan fold type filing folder which is designed to hold documents within the folds of the device and must be used in conjunction with a specific filing system using movable, cantilevering arms.
3. On Jan. 14, 1975, Bolten was issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,304, for a coiled spring dispensing container.
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,093, was granted to Field on May 13, 1986, for a self-adjusting fan-fold type merchandise display device.
The past art patent most relevant to my invention appears to be U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,944, which discloses a portion of the preferred embodiment as a fan-folded cardboard or fiberboard unit designed to hold letters, folders or the like within the folds of the unit itself. Each end has short flanges which are devised to retain the unit on movable horizontal cantilever arms. The first embodiment of my invention, although similar in appearance due to the fan fold design, is not structured to hold envelopes or papers within the folds of the device but to be a support bracing positioned behind them. My device is specifically designed to provide an outward exerting force which is structured to support the envelopes and folders in a substantially vertical position and to be self-adjusting by compressing and reducing in size when additional envelopes or folders are added to the drawer. No claim is made on the Humphrey device for this feature nor is there any mention of it being anticipated in the future.
The second past art device most pertinent to mine is U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,093, which depicts a narrow fan-fold spring device attached to an L-shaped bracket for purposes of displaying merchandise. Each fold of the fan-fold section is affixed with a wire spring which provides added biasing force. The first embodiment of my invention eliminates the need for this wire spring for attachment to a support bracket. Not only is the Field device more expensive to produce than mine, having these extra elements, it requires assembly which again increases costs. The L-shaped bracket must also be positioned in a specific direction, against the documents, where as my device is equally functional utilizing either end panel as the document support surface. There also arises some question as to the probable tendency for the L-shaped support bracket to buckle under pressure especially when supporting folders or envelopes much wider than the L-shaped support bracket such as legal sized documents. For large file folders, two of the Field devices could be utilized to solve the problem, but then the cost is again increased. Field makes no claim that his device is compatible with varying dimensions of different documents such as legal papers or smaller items like index or business cards.
The Pollklesener U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,654, shows a closure device for bottles which reduces vibration and damage to the contents, particularly with pharmaceutical goods. Some similarity exists between this past art patented device and the second embodiment of my invention. My device, however, comprises an air tight unit having a collapsible accordion style bellows with an air release valve, and by bellows are attached to two flat vertical end panels used as bracing surfaces. The Pollklesener device is designed as a closure or cap, and contains threads for engagement to a container which is not the intention or aim of my invention. The accordion section of the Pollklesener device is also not designed to be air tight nor does it have an air valve for regulating the amount of air containment.
The Bolten U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,304, has a compression spring dispensing device which is specifically designed for the disclosed container. The compression spring, having only one support panel, is permanently attached to the interior wall of the container, whereas my device, having two support panels, is specifically designed not to be attached to any surface. Nowhere in the specification or claims has Bolten anticipated his spring unit being provided as a separate item, or for the use of supporting documents in filing cabinets. The similarity between my device and that of Bolten's is use of a compression spring. However, many other unrelated devices also use compression springs and my use of the compression spring is significantly different from the use in the Bolten device.
To the best of my knowledge, the devices disclosed in the past art patents cited represented those most pertinent to my invention. A file drawer filler illustrating the advantages of my invention was not seen in the devices which I have specifically compared with each of my separate embodiments.